Cloth feeder and guider



y 1934- R. Ma FARLANE CLOTH FEEDER AND GUIDER Filed May 18 lNVENTOR f WIT,N ;SSES V mfierfuifacJ'Zzr/ane 064m jw m BY I W17 W W M, ATTORNEY UNITED STATES rm CLOTH FEEDER AND cornea Robert MacFarlane, Biltmore, N. 6., assignor to Sayles Biltinore Bleacheries, 1110., Biltmore, N. (3., a corporation of Rhode Island Application May 18, 1933, Serial N6. 671,746

'1 Claims. (01. 26-65) This invention relates to improvements in decylindrical surface made of resilient material, vices for feeding and guiding cloth to maintain preferably rubber. The mounting 19 supports the cloth straight in normal width and under a the roll 15 for movement toward and away from desired normal tension, while being fed to a tenthe roll 14 in cooperative relation with respect 1 5 tering machine and various other cloth-handling thereto. A bracket 26 is secured, as at 27, to the to machines. plate 10, and has secured thereto or formed in- The invention consists in the improved metegral therewith a barrel 28. A plunger 29 exchanical features hereinafter fully described and tends through the barrel 23 and is slidable with illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in respect thereto. A coil expansion spring 30 is which arranged in the barrel 28 and has one end there- 65 Figure 1 is a side View of a device embodying of in contact with the plunger 29, and its opposite the features of the invention and shown in use; end in contact with the barrel 28. The spring 30 Fig. 2 is an end view and part section of the functions to constantly urge the plunger 29 todevice; ward the mounting 19 in contact therewith so as Fig. 3 is a rear view and part section of the to yieldingly hold the roll 15 inaposition in which 70 device. it cooperates with the roll 14 to feed and guide It is to be understood that in feeding and guidthe cloth, designated by the letter C. A tension ing the cloth a pair of similar devices will be member 31 is arranged below the rolls 14 and 15 used, said devices being disposed, respectively, to and is mounted for pivotal or swinging movement engage the opposite side edges of the cloth as it on a shaft 32 secured to the base, as at 33. The 75 is being fed. In the drawing only one device is member 31 is held in place on the shaft by a nut illustrated and will be hereinafter described. The 34. The member 31 is in the form of a curved device will include suitable means for attaching or arcuate plate, or, in other words, the member the same to the machine with which the device is curved in profile. The member 31 is substanworks, such means being shown in the drawing, tially triangular in shape and has a curved edge so consisting of a plate 10, which carries suitable 35. A cloth guide in the form of a rod 36 is sefastening elements or bolts 11 to bolt orsecure cured to the plate 10, as at 37, in relation to the the same to a selected part of the machine. A tension member 31, and said rod 36 is curved comtop cloth-guide plate 12 is secured to the plate plemental to the curved edge of the tension .30 10, as at 13, and extends laterallytherefrom, the member 31. The shaft 32 on which the tension upper and outer edge of the plate being well member 31 swings, is disposed parallel to the axis rounded so that the cloth may readily pass over of the rolls 14 and 15. The rod 36 has a terminal or be guided by the plate 10. Use is made of a 38, which is beveled, as at 39, to readily accompair of cloth-feed and guide rolls 14 and 15, which modate the cloth. Means is provided to cause the 35 cooperate with each other to feed and guide the plunger 29 to move against the action of the cloth. The roll 14 is mounted to rotate on a fixed spring 30, to allow the mounting 19 to swing and axis provided by a shaft 16 secured at one end, the roll 15 to move away from the cloth when the as at 17, to the plate 10, and extending laterally cloth under abnormal tension exerts pressure on with respect thereto. The roll 141s held in place the tension member 31, causing movement of 49 on the shaft by a nut 18. The roll 14 is freely the latter. This result is accomplished most satrotatable on the shaft 16 and is made of metal, isfactorily by reason of the cloth passing between preferably brass. A mounting 19 is supported the curved edge 35 of the member 31 and the for swinging movement on a shaft 20, secured, curved rod 36, in conjunction with the abnormal as at 21, to the plate 10 and extending laterally tension on the cloth. The said last means con- 45 therefrom. The mounting 19 is freely swingable sists of a rod 40, having one end secured to the on the shaft 20, The roll 15 is rotatably suptension member 31, as at 41, and its opposite ported in the mounting 19 on a shaft 23, whose end having spaced beveled members or collars 43 opposite ends are received in slots 24 in the fixed thereto. The rod 40 extends through a hole mounting, the shaft being held against displacein the bracket 26. A lever 44 has a fixed fulcrum 50 ment by washers and nuts 25. The axis of the 45cm the bracket 26, said fulcrum-45 being disshaft 20 is parallel to the axis of the shaft 23, posed at one end of the lever, and the opposite and the former is disposed above the latter. It end having ahole therethrough to receive the rod will be apparent that the roll 15 is adjustable as to, so that said end may be disposed between the applied to the mounting 19 and removable theremembers or collars 43. The lever also has a hole i from. The roll 15 consists of a core having a or slot to accommodate the plunger 29. The

plunger has a member or collar 46 fixed thereon to cause the plunger to move in response to the operation of the lever.

In use the device is disposed so that the axes of the rolls 14 and 15 are disposed at an angle with respect to a horizontal plane. The cloth C is passed between the rolls l4 and 15 and also between the curved edge 35 of the tension member 31 and the curved rod 40. The roll 15 will be urged by the spring 30 in a position to cooperate with the roll 14 to feed and guide the cloth downwardly, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. When for any reason the cloth is under or is subjected to an abnormal tension, or in other words, when the cloth is tensioned or stretched causing a reduction in its width, the tension member 31 will be subjected to pressure by the cloth, causing the member 31 to swing, and through the intervention of the rod 41 and lever 44, cause the plunger to move rearwardly. This will withdraw pressure on the mounting 19, thereby allowing the roll 15 to yield from its cooperative relation with respect to the roll 14 so as not to act on the cloth C. When the cloth has regained its normal tension and width, pressure will be withdrawn from the tension member 31, and as a consequence the spring 30 will function to cause the plunger to bear on the mounting 19, and thus move the roll 15 toa proper feeding and guiding relation with respect to the roll 14. The spring 30 also will cause th tension member 31 to bear against the cloth, through the intervention of the collar 46, lever 4 1, one of the rollers 43, and the rod 40.

What is claimed is:

1. A cloth feeder and guider including a pivoted mounting and cloth feed and guide roll carried thereby, a pivoted tension member acted broadside on by the cloth, the pivot of the mounting being parallel to the pivot of the tension member, means constantly acting on said mounting to urge said roll in contact with the cloth, and means actuated by said tension member to actuate said first means, to allow the roll to move out of feeding contact with the cloth, when the cloth, under abnormal tension, exerts pressure on said tension member causing the pivotal movement of the latter.

2. A cloth feeder and guider including a movable mounting and cloth feed and guide roll carried thereby, the mounting being movable on an axis parallel to the axis of the guide roll, a movable tension member having a curved edge acted on by the cloth, means which guides the cloth in contact with said curved edge, means constantly acting on said mounting to urge said roll in contact with the cloth, and means actuated by said tension member to acutate said first means, to allow the roll to move out of feeding contact with the cloth, when the cloth, under abnormal tension, exerts pressure on said tension member causing movement of the latter.

3. A cloth feeder and guider including a pivoted mounting and cloth feed and guide roll carried thereby, the pivot of the mounting being above said guide roll and disposed parallel to the axis of the roll, a movable tension member having a curved edge acted on by the cloth, a fixed curved rod which guides the cloth in contact with said curved edge, said tension member and.

rod being disposed below said mounting, means constantly actin on said mounting to urge said roll in contact with the cloth, and means actuated by said tension member to actuate said first means, to allow the roll to move out of feeding contact with the cloth, when the cloth, under abnormal tension, exerts pressure on said tension member causing movement of the latter.

4. A cloth feeder and guider including a pivoted mounting and cloth feed and guide roll carried thereby, a pivoted tension member acted broadside on by the cloth, the pivot of the mounting being parallel to the pivot of the tension member, a spring pressed plunger constantly acting on said mounting to urge said roll in contact with the cloth, and means actuated by said tension member to actuate said plunger, to allow the roll to move out of feeding contact with the cloth, when the cloth, under abnormal tension, exerts pressure on said tension member causing movement of the latter.

5. A cloth feeder and guider including a mov able mounting and cloth feed and guide roll carried thereby, a movable tension member acted on by the cloth, a barrel fixed with respect to said mounting, a plunger extending through said barrel and having sliding movement with respect thereto, a spring within the barrel and having one end in contact with the plunger and its opposite end in contact with the barrel to cause the plunger to bear on the mounting and thus urge said roll in contact with the cloth, a rod connected with said tension member, spaced members fixed on said rod, and a lever having one end disposed in operative relation between said spaced members, the provision and arrangement being such to allow the roll to move out of feeding contact with the cloth, when the cloth, under abnormal tension, exerts pressure on said tension member causing movement of the latter.

6. In a cloth feeder and guider, a pair of cooperative cloth feed and guide rolls, one of said rolls being mounted to move into and out of cooperative feeding relation to the other roll, a movable tension member spaced from said rolls, a fixed cloth guide which guides the cloth in contact with said tension member, to cause movement of the tension member, when the cloth is under abnormal tension, and yieldable means to hold said yieldably mounted roll, in contact with the cloth, said tension member causing the actuation of said means, when the cloth, under abnormal tension, exerts pressure on said tension member causing movement of the latter.

7. A cloth feeder and guider including a movable mounting and cloth feed and guide roll carried thereby a movable tension member having a curved edge acted on by the cloth, means constantly acting on said mounting to urge said roll in contact with the cloth, means actuated by said tension member to actuate said first means, to allow the roll to move out of feeding contact with the cloth, when the cloth, under abnormal tension, exerts pressure on said tension member causing movement of the latter, and means cooperating with said tension member to guide the cloth in contact with the latter when the cloth is under abnormal tension.

ROBERT MACFARLANE. 

